We had a few hours to kill between family obligations when we visited Salt Lake City a few weeks ago, so I took my crew down to Gilgal to visit the Joseph Smith sphinx.

This place really tickles me; I just like to see how people process their faith. And this garden is incredibly concrete, er, processing. I was a little bit concerned, though, about taking my kids. Might a Joseph Smith sphinx injure their testimonies?

My son, at 4 years old, already has a difficult time placing historical figures in their sphere. We frequently have the U.S President or President of the Church categorization conversation. While it is amusing to picture Joseph Smith and Abraham Lincoln in the same quorum, they had very different jobs. Perhaps Presidents Obama and Monson are equally present in my children’s lives, but they too have divergent responsibilities. Between the prophet talk and the men carved into stone (yes, Mt. Rushmore just a few days before this), what can a child make of all this near worship of “important” men?

These monuments, the real sphinx, pyramids, great walls, giant statues, and Mt. Rushmores puzzle me. I can understand the sentiment behind them, but cannot quite comprehend why they would actually be made. I’m about there with the Joseph Smith sphinx, too, but I’ll keep on thinking about it and why oh why anyone would put forth the requisite effort to create a lion/Joseph Smith hybrid of stone in their backyard.

“I can understand the sentiment behind them, but cannot quite comprehend why they would actually be made. I’m about there with the Joseph Smith sphinx, too, but I’ll keep on thinking about it and why oh why anyone would put forth the requisite effort to create a lion/Joseph Smith hybrid of stone in their backyard.”

Because of the lasting effect and the impression they leave on the spectators! I love the Gilgal Garden! It’s a place I never skip to take any acquaintance that comes to Utah for the first time. You know, there are the obligatory places you have to take them like Temple Square and the Joseph Smith building… well the Gilgal Garden is on my list of places people must visit when in Salt Lake City.

To me, it is representative of how important symbology was to Mr. Thomas Battersby Child Jr, both as a Freemason and as a Mormon. I also believe is representative of how Mormons in general embrace their religion through symbology in a deeper level (Temple rites).

The ability to view life and religion through a symbological lense is basic to understanding Mormon religious expression. Therefore, the Sphynx to me is not only a tribute to Joseph Smith, his wisdom and his mysticism, but also a tribute to the symbological nature of both Mormonism and Freemasonry.

I think annegb is right. There’s no rational explanation for Gilgal. It wouldn’t be on my list of places to take most people because it’s just too eccentric. Lifetime members might think it’s interesting, but for those just getting acquainted with Mormons, it’s bound to up the weird quotient to extreme levels.

This is a religion that claims to have been restored through divine and angelic visitations, the translation of a relic that was provided by an angel which whas translated using a device that facilitates revelation. All of which are readily available to non-Mormons in any visitor’s center, pamphlets and first missionary discussions.

Gosh. A man decides to pay tribute to his religion by abstract and symbolic expression through sculpture media… whoa, the weird quotient is really out there!!! LOL

Manuel, if you don’t see the weirdness in Gilgal, there’s something wrong with you. Yes, every religion, including ours, has weird-sounding beliefs when you look at them from a purely rational point of view. But add to that a sphinx in a backyard with the prophets head on it, and someone not familiar with our religion is apt to be a little confused and yes, weirded out. That’s a simple fact, and it’s not coming from a molly mormon.

Oh I love seeing these behaviours annegb. I am an avid current culture observer. As long as these people don’t start a petition to remove the sculpted fellowship masonic handshake from the Salt Lake Temple, I’ll be fine. ;)

I would be all over these sculptures as symbols of our religion IF our religion had anything to do with a sphinx. Not in any scripture, not in church history or lesson manuals and not in the temple rites that I know. We just don’t do man/animal hybrids.

I am cool with the understanding that every man is allowed his hobbies. I have dragged (drug?)my reluctant family members to all kinds of weird freaks of nature and man. I would add this example to that list. It would be fun for everyone in my family to take their guess, based on the garden, as to what form of mental quirkiness the poor man suffered from.

Chris, it these people bothered to read the pamphlet provided for free at the garden, they would understand those things. But no, they rather make a shallow judgment of their first impression of something they don’t understand and of someone when they don’t bother to step in their shoes and attempt their vision even if for an instant.

They are the same as those who criticize Mormonism in general without bothering trying to understand their views. They pass shallow judgment on things they don’t understand, thus “Mormons are weird” will always be their motto. Only when you try to understand and make a minimal effort to visualize through their view is when things begin to be more understandable.

“We frequently have the U.S President or President of the Church categorization conversation. While it is amusing to picture Joseph Smith and Abraham Lincoln in the same quorum, they had very different jobs.”

Woodrow Wilson or Wilford Woodruff? I was probably 12 before I was sure which one was President of the Church and which one was President of the United States.

Manuel, I think your tone is a little harsh, not everyone is thinking on the same brainwave so to speak…
But I didn’t realize the connection to masonry until your earlier post. Sphinxes ask certain questions (bad luck if you can’t answer). And they “guard” the entrances to masonic temples. So there’s actually some nice symbolism to dig into behind what is on the face an aesthetically unattractive piece of art.

#22 – Me too! I was very confused in third grade because our school classroom had pictures of the US presidents and our church primary room had pictures of the prophets. I was constantly mixing up who belonged to what list. Those Woods guys really made it difficult for me.